Nintendo’s Switch, launched in 2017, quickly became one of the most popular game consoles in the world with its hybrid format and successful games. However, with the introduction of the Xbox Series and Playstation 5 systems, developers left the old generation behind and started using new technologies more frequently in their games. The Switch’s inability to cope with new games and players getting used to high resolutions turned their eyes to the next generation Nintendo console. New details from the next-generation Switch console, which has recently been the subject of leaks, will excite potential customers.

Nvidia Tegra T239 details revealed

About two years ago, a Twitter/X user named @kopite7kimi shared a post on the platform about the next-generation Switch’s processor. This user stated that a truncated version of the Tegra T234 would power the new Nintendo console. This chip, expected to be called Tegra T239, was an important topic in Digital Foundry’s new video.

Digital Foundry, which has become a successful and reliable source of technical videos for gamers, has released a video about the next generation Nintendo Switch on YouTube. The video detailed the processor expected to be used in Switch 2 and revealed the performance we can expect from this console. So what will Nintendo Switch 2 offer?

New Nintendo console to be powered by Nvidia’s Ampere architecture

The Nvidia Tegra T239, which is expected to power the new Nintendo console (probably Switch 2), will be a trimmed down version of the Tegra T234 used in the automotive industry. The T234, which powers many smart cars, takes up even more space than the chip used in the Xbox Series X with its 455mm2 size. This means that Nvidia will seriously change the T234 chip. Featuring 12 ARM A78AE CPU cores, an Ampere GPU unit with 2048 CUDA cores and a 256-bit bus, the T234 is manufactured on Samsung’s 8nm process. So what kind of features will the T239 offer?

As seen in Digital Foundry’s video, the Tegra T239 chip will be a customized version of the T234. The T239 will have 8 ARM A78C cores on the CPU side and an Ampere unit with 1536 CUDA cores on the GPU side. The 128-bit bus chip will support LPDDR5 technology and will allow a maximum memory speed of 102GB/s. It seems quite possible that Nintendo will make some changes to the memory speed for energy efficiency.

According to Nvidia code added to the Linux project, the T239 chip will have a media engine powered by the Ada Lovelace architecture, which will support popular media codecs such as Nintendo’s new console AV1. The Linux code also reveals that the chipset will include an optical streaming accelerator powering DLSS 3 Frame Generation. However, this accelerator will be based on the Ampere architecture instead of the Ada Lovelace architecture. In addition, the T239 will be able to support HDMI 2.1 technology with DisplayPort bus.

Comparison of Nvidia chips

How will Nintendo Switch 2 perform?

Digital Foundry took the specifications revealed in the leaks as an example and prepared a system that will offer similar graphics performance to Switch 2. The Dell Vostro 5630 with Intel Core i7 1360p processor and 16GB 4800MHz LPDDR5 memory was used as a sample system in the video. Powered by the Nvidia RTX 2050, the Vostro 5630 is powered by the Ampere architecture, just like the Tegra T239. The GPU has 2048 CUDA cores, supports a 64-bit bus and has 4GB of memory. DF lowered the frequency of the GPU to 750MHz and put the system through many tests to ensure that the RTX 2050 delivers a performance similar to Switch 2. The test results are promising.

Switch 2 could offer ray tracing at 1080p resolution

DF’s first test was the Matrix Awakens demo developed with Unreal Engine 5. The demo did not run on the system, but DF stated that this was due to the 4GB VRAM. Although the tests didn’t start well, the next games gave the Tegra T239 a glimmer of hope. Death Stranding, Control, Cyberpunk 2077 and A Plague Tale: Requiem were able to achieve 30fps performance at 1080p thanks to DLSS. At 720p, the games performed better. Fortnite, which includes all the features of Unreal Engine 5, also performed well at 720p and 1080p. The system was also able to run Death Stranding at 1440p in DLSS performance mode.

In these highly detailed tests, DF also tested the RTX 2050’s ray tracing performance. Control, which has successful graphics, reached the 30fps metric with ray tracing active at 1080p (DLSS) resolution on the system. Fortnite also ran with ray tracing enabled thanks to DLSS. DF claimed that DLSS technology will play an important role in the new console.

4K resolution for the new Switch may be a dream

Over the past year, rumors have suggested that the new Nintendo console will support 4K resolution, but DF says that’s not realistic. Modern titles like Death Stranding won’t be able to run at 4K resolution, even with the DLSS performance option. However, the special deep learning module in the Tegra T239 can be used for DLSS, which could make it possible for Switch 2 to reach 4K resolution.

File Compression Engine

In addition to performance metrics, DF talked about an important technology expected to be used in Switch 2. Allegedly, the Tegra T239 will feature a file compression engine similar to the Playstation 5 system, so games will take up less space and load faster. It is not yet clear what kind of storage solution will be used on Switch 2, but the use of an SSD will greatly improve the performance of the file compression engine.

Nintendo Switch 2 will make gamers happy with its performance

Digital Foundry notes that the tests on the RTX 2050 are in many ways not representative of the Switch 2. The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to have 8 or 12GB of system memory, which could allow the Tegra T239 to outperform the RTX 2050. Also, the fact that titles such as Doom Eternal, The Witcher 3, Crysis 3 and Sniper Elite are running on the first-gen Switch confirms that developer optimization is also an important factor.

With its Ampere graphics unit and Cortex A78 processor, Nintendo Switch 2 could usher in a new era of hybrid consoles. With performance similar to the PlayStation 4, the new Switch will perform successfully as both a portable and home console, and the console will also host modern technologies such as DLSS and ray tracing. Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to be available in 2024. You can watch Digital Foundry’s detailed video below.